Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and unexplained honey bee colony losses have damaged the U.S. beekeeping industry and threaten the approximately $15 billion worth of crops that, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, depend on honey bee pollination. Entomologists and agricultural extension workers have proposed a variety of causes for these colony losses, ranging from pesticides to parasitic mites and viruses. In trying to define and treat what is ailing bees, they draw on frameworks from managing human epidemic diseases. In doing so, they have redefined what it means to care for honey bees in terms of medical practices. These practices can include monitoring chronic conditions, prophylactic treatments, worries about drug interactions, and paying attention to the health effects of diet and stress.

Chloe Silverman, PhD, will describe how the challenge of defining disease and health in honey bees illustrates how medical practices can be inadequate at addressing complex, chronic and multifactorial conditions like CCD.

This event is free and open to the Drexel community. Light refreshments will be served.